The United States has warned Saudi Arabia that any attempt to develop independent uranium enrichment capabilities would be considered a violation of the nuclear cooperation agreement known as the “123 Agreement,” potentially putting the nuclear partnership between the two countries at risk of collapse.
The warning was issued by Matthew Napoli, deputy director of the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Office at the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, during remarks at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He stressed that Washington requires strict compliance with nuclear nonproliferation standards for cooperation to continue.
Napoli said Saudi Arabia’s efforts to develop independent uranium enrichment capabilities would violate the terms of its agreement with the United States, putting bilateral cooperation at risk.
He explained that the agreement includes U.S. oversight mechanisms for Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program, adding that violations of the comprehensive safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), or of U.S. monitoring requirements, could lead to the suspension of nuclear cooperation between Riyadh and Washington.
A 30-Year Nuclear Agreement
U.S. President Donald Trump reached the agreement with the Saudi government in late July, allowing American companies to develop the Kingdom’s nuclear energy infrastructure over a 30-year period.
According to details reported about the agreement, it does not require congressional approval to enter into force. However, it is subject to a 90-day period during which lawmakers can review it and take action to block it.
Trump had previously linked progress on the agreement to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords. However, that condition was not included in the nuclear agreement signed by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
Opposition in Congress
Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ed Markey introduced a resolution seeking to block the agreement with Saudi Arabia, amid concerns that it does not contain sufficient safeguards to prevent American technology from being used to develop nuclear weapons.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the agreement could allow Saudi Arabia to increase uranium enrichment levels to 20% following additional studies. That level is higher than what is used in many civilian nuclear energy applications, although it remains below the higher enrichment levels associated with producing material for nuclear weapons.
